WASHINGTON, Reuters — The U.S. International Trade Commission has made a final determination that dumped and subsidized imports of wood cabinets and vanities from China were harming American producers, locking in steep U.S. tariffs for five years.
The United States imported some $4.4 billion worth of wooden cabinets, vanities and their components from China in 2018.
The U.S. Commerce Department on Feb. 24 imposed anti-dumping duties of up to 262.2% and anti-subsidy duties of up to 293.5% in an investigation that started last year with a petition from the American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance, a coalition of some 50 U.S. cabinet and vanity producers.
The group’s chairman hailed the ruling as a “major win” for the industry. “When given a level playing field, the American kitchen industry can compete with anyone in the world,” said Edwin Underwood, president of Marsh Furniture Co.
The ruling came as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative’s office cited progress in implementing the agriculture-related provisions of a Phase 1 trade deal with China that took effect on Feb. 14.